(FORT DODGE, Iowa) The solid waste agency that oversees the regional landfill south of Fort Dodge will complete environmental upgrades, open a household hazardous materials regional collection center and pay a $135,000 penalty, through a settlement with the state to resolve a series of environmental violations at the landfill.

The attorney general’s Environmental Law Division, on behalf of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR), reached the settlement with the North Central Iowa Regional Solid Waste Agency (NCIRSWA), through a consent decree filed in Webster County District Court. The consent decree resolves a lawsuit that was filed simultaneously.

The settlement addresses both solid waste and water pollution control violations that the state alleges date back to at least 2007.

In addition to the penalty, the consent decree, approved and ordered by District Court Judge Kurt J. Stoebe, requires the agency to complete the following projects by the end of next year:

Install an abutment liner to protect surface water and groundwater. An abutment liner is an impermeable barrier that helps contain leachate, a liquid that contains both dissolved and suspended material and can contain toxic chemicals.

Close and cover areas of the landfill that do not meet current DNR standards for liners and leachate collection systems or at final grade.

The agency must also submit a compliance report that certifies completion of the projects required by the consent decree.

“Our primary concern all along has been to ensure that the landfill meets standards that protect the area’s environment overall, and particularly the groundwater,” said Attorney General Tom Miller. “The regional solid waste agency has committed to doing that through this settlement, and we think this is a fair resolution.”